


Under My Skin

by Bunsandpups



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Body Horror, Gen, Parasites
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-26
Updated: 2015-10-26
Packaged: 2018-04-28 04:48:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5078389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bunsandpups/pseuds/Bunsandpups
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Something is very, very wrong with Tony.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Under My Skin

            Something felt off ever since Tony had come back from the last mission. He couldn’t place exactly what make him so uncomfortable in his own body, but something was wrong. It started with the vivid, unending nightmares. It would be _hours_ before he would feel safe enough to stop checking behind every corner. From there, it moved into phantom sensations.

            The first time was the most obvious, and embarrassing. He’d asked Bruce to stop tickling him because it was very distracting while he worked. Bruce was adamant that he’d never touched Tony, even going so far as to point out that he was across the lab from Tony and therefore unable to reach him.

            The sensations kept coming. It felt like something was crawling under his skin some nights, and the sensation was enough to whip Tony into a fear- and pain-induced frenzy. He would go to sleep screaming into his pillow, too hoarse to say anything the next morning.

            The other Avengers were getting worried; he could see it in the way they looked at him, in the way they did or didn’t say something. He didn’t want to be babied; he just wanted it to _stop_.

            It got bad enough one night that Tony finally called Bruce in to examine him. He’d been insisting on an exam, and Tony had been refusing to submit. However, he realized he couldn’t live with these maddening sensations anymore. He barely slept. Everything he ate made him queasy. Even alcohol couldn’t soothe the sensations enough for him to relax. The world was raw and grating, leaving Tony exhausted from being constantly on edge.

            Bruce took his time, carefully examining Tony. The other man wanted to scream; just the pressure of touch was enough to drive him back into fits of pain and overstimulation. It felt like his nerve endings were on fire every time Bruce touched anything.

            The grim look told Tony it wasn’t good. Jarvis was dialing a hospital as Bruce explained what was wrong. “Barring an extended psychotic break, which is unlikely… It looks like you have some kind of parasite living in your bloodstream. I don’t know how long it’s been there, but we’re going to get you to an emergency room, okay?”

            “Is this gonna kill me?” Tony couldn’t force the fear out of his voice; the news was making his world spin.

            “I don’t know,” Bruce admitted. He patted Tony’s shoulder comfortingly. “But the ambulance will be here soon, and we’ll figure it out from there. If you’re lucky, you didn’t sustain nerve damage or permanent issues with your body. If you’re not…”

            Tony didn’t have the sass to finish the line the way he would have liked. Death was a lot grimmer when it was something he was truly right up against.

**Author's Note:**

> Parasites are one of those things that I think ought to be universally creepy. I hope you enjoyed the story!


End file.
